Missouri Department of Conservation Releases Information on Deer Season, Fall Hunting Seasons and Hunter Education

The following press release is from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Archery deer season opening in Missouri is quickly approaching.

The season starts on September 15th. Locally, many changes were made with deer season regulations.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was found in Randolph County during the 2023-2024 deer season.

The location of the positive was within a distance close enough to several county borders to place the counties in CWD management. Audrain, Boone, Monroe, and Randolph Counties were entered into CWD management.

Montgomery County was entered into management last year due to a positive in Gasconade County.

Regulations associated with management in all CWD management counties are the removal of the four-point antler restriction, the year-round ban of grain, salt products, minerals and other consumable products used to attract deer, and deer harvested in the management counties must be reported through Telecheck prior to removal from the county of harvest.

Hunters wishing to transport any part of the deer with the spinal column or brain present may only do so within 48 hours of exiting the county if they deliver the carcass to a licensed meat processor or the head to a licensed taxidermist.

In Audrain, Boone, Randolph, and Monroe Counties, deer on the opening weekend (Nov 16 and 17) will be required to be taken to a mandatory CWD sampling station.

Station locations are as follows: Audrain- Mexico High School; Boone- Hallsville Primary School, Ashland Optimist Club, and Missouri Department of Conservation Columbia Regional Office; Monroe- Monroe County Fairgrounds; Randolph-Rothwell Park. Montgomery County does not have a mandatory sampling requirement for the 2024-2025 deer season.

If you wish to have your deer sampled during the rest of the season, they can be submitted to the Columbia Regional Office, or taken to a head drop freezer located in CWD management counties.

In Audrain County, the freezer location is Reading Farms. For other locations, please visit https://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/chronic-wasting-disease/voluntary-cwd-sampling.

Deer archery season starts on September 15th and last until November 15th, the start of firearms season.

It resumes on November 27th and ends on January 15th, 2025. Prior to the start of firearms season, only one antlered deer may be taken.

Prior to this year, an archers permit provided two any deer permits and two turkey permits.

This year the permit does not include turkey tags.

A fall turkey permit is needed to harvest turkeys in the fall.

The permit is valid for archery methods during the archery portion deer season and for firearms during the month of October.

Archery methods and restrictions apply during the fall firearms portion of the season.

An individual can not possess a firearm except a concealed handgun while archery hunting.

Other deer season dates are as follows:

Early firearms antlerless season is October 11-October 13, Early youth firearms season is November 2 and November 3, Regular firearms season is November 16-November 26, CWD firearms season is November 27-December 1 (open in CWD management counties), Late youth firearms season is November 29- December 1, Late firearms antlerless season is December 7-December 15, and alternative firearms season is December 28-January 7, 2025.

With September comes the start of the fall hunting seasons. Dove season started on September 1st and ends on November 29th. Teal season started on September 7th and ends on September 22nd.

Raccoon season opened on August 1st and last until October 15th.

It reopens on November 15th with all other furbearers.

Two hunter education skill courses will be offered in Audrain County this fall.

The first course will be offered on 9/28/2024 at the Knights of Columbus in Martinsburg.

The second course is offered on 10/12/2024 at the VFW Hall in Mexico.

Hunter education certification is required of hunters born after January 1st, 1967.

To attend the course, preregistration must be completed at https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/.

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